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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: wound · drill · fine · wax · mug · patient · temple · pitch

  1. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. fine — all right
  5. wound — an injury
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. drill — the tool
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. mug — a face
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. mug — to rob
  14. wax — to grow
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. drill — a practice
  18. drill — army training
  19. pitch — completely
  20. mug — a cup
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. fine — high quality

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com